Ebnst willheim



March 11, 1930. wlLLHElM 1,750,078

CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Jan. 25, 1927 Fr 1 Fig. 2

Patented Mar. 11, 1930 PATENT OFFICE ERNST WILLHEIM, OF GILGENBERG, AUSTRIA CONTROL APPARATUS Application filed January 25, 1927, Serial No. 163,513, and in Austria February 1, 1926.

The invention relates to a control apparatus serving mainly but not exclusively for controlling autocars by indicating whether or not the car had been used during the absence 0f the owner without authorization. Moreever on touring thenet travelling time may be read from such apparatus.

The present invention aims at improving a controlling apparatus in such manner, that for initiating its function no connection whatever with any part or m'ember otthe car is required and that consequently putting the clock out of work is impossible. According to the present invention this is realized by a 5 wheel work combined with a dial work or by a clock, the function of which is only possible during the action of the external forces (shaking or j olting movements) to which the car is exposed owing to the unevenness of the road, alterations of the speed or in taking curves. The arrangement may be such, that a clock to, be wound up in normal fashion is provided with a locking device, Which during the running of the car is kept out of action by the said forces. But in addition thereto also the winding up may in a known manner be effected by these forces, for which purpose the driving member of the clock mechanism is connected to a Weight mounted in such manner, that it is capable of oscillating. In any of these cases the clock differs from'ordinary .clocks or watches also in that the bands can only be moved by the wheel work, btit not from outside.

In the annexed drawing by way of example an embodiment of the invention is illustrated, Fig. 1 being a side elevation with part of the casing being taken off and Fig. 2 a sectional View taken on the line aa of Fig. 1.

Between the plates 1 and 2 a clock work of normal construction is mounted and between the plate 2 and the base plate 3 the devices are placed, by which the clock is kept working during the running periods of the car. 1

is the axle of that clock wheel, which acts on the driving spring thereof. To this axle. turning in a bearing of the base plate 3 and passing through the plate 2, a ratchet wheel 5 is secured, with which engages the pawl 6 of a lever 7 rotatably mounted on said axle.

The free end of this lever 7 is so formed as to constitute a guide for a pin 8 of the slide rod 10 guided by the bearings 9. To the one endof the rod a thin cord 12 or like flexible member is fastened, bearing a weight 14, which 5 cord or string is maintained in the state of tension by the two springs 11and 13. When the car is shaken by passing over uneven places of the road, by altering its speed or by taking curves, the weight is caused to oscillate, which movement is by the slide rod 10 transferred to the lever 7 Winding up the driving spring of the clock.

' 15 is a catch hook stopping the clock at the still-stand of the car by engaging with 1 one of the clock wheels, for: instance with the swing wheel (balance escapement) 16, thus impeding its rotation. The hook 15 is pivotally mounted on an axle 15 and tends to swing towards the wheel 16 under the influ- 7o ence. of a spring 17 acting on the hook. Near the pivot a thread 18 or similar flexible member is connected to the hook, which thread is kept tensioned by the spring .17 acting on the hook. This thread passes through eyelets 19, 20 provided on wires 21, 22. The latter are kept under tension by springs 23, 24 and 232245 respectively and are provided with masses 25and 26 of different weight. If desired, also the springs 23, 24 may be of difso ferent strength and tension. The springs are made of very thin wire and the said weights 25, 26 are relatively very light, so that very small forces are suflicient for causing the springs to oscillate. But as the weights and the tension of the springs-are unequal, the oscillations will be asynchronous. Consequently during the run of the car the eyelets 19, 20 will never be simultaneously in the position which they areoccupying when at rest during the stillstand of the car. The thread 18 is therefore bent at the places where it passes through the eyelets in various, permanently', changing forms and subjected to a braking action,.whereby the hook 15 is kept out of engagement with the swinging wheel A special device locking the clock may be dispensed with if means are provided pre venting the driving spring of the clock being tensioned above a certain limit. This highest tension ought to be relatively small and only suflicient to keep the clock working during a few, say for instance 3 minutes. In such case the clock will go on for 3 minutes after the car has been stopped, and for certain urposes such inexactness of the clock rea ing may be admitted.

The result that the driving spring of the clock cannot be wound up above a certain tension, can easily be realized by making the lever arm 7 from a plate spring, which is bending when the driving spring has attained the allowed maximum of tension, or else a driving spring may be used, the one end of which is movably connected either to the casing or to the axle so that it can only be wound up to a certain degree of tension.

In any case the hand work must be protected in such manner, that the position of the hands 35 cannot be changed from outside. If a normal clock work is used, the means for moving the hands must therefore be omitted. Moreover it must be impossible to obtain access to the clock work or gearing and to the hands 35 without visible violation of leaden seals to be applied to the controlling device. For this purpose the clock casing 27 may be secured to the car e. g. to the frame or board 28 carrying the fittings by means of screws 29 and a string 30 may pass therethrough, which string is sealed by means of leaden seals 31.

The clock glass is not kept in position in the usual manner by the aperture of the easing, but by a rim 32 thereof bent at an angle and having as well as the glass 33 to be inserted a greater diameter than that of the opening 34, so that the glass can only be put in place from inside.

What I claim is: 1. An apparatus for controlling the running time of vehicles, consisting of a clock, having clockworks, a movable locking device adapted to engage an element of the clock-- works and when so engaged preventing the working of the clock, resiliently supported nature.

-- ERNST WILLHEIM.

masses, adapted to oscillate under the influence of motion of their support and means translating the movement of said masses to said locking device to move and retain the locking member out of reach of the element of the clockworks.

2. An apparatus for controlling the running time of vehicles, consisting of a clock having clockworks, a movable locking hook engaging one of the wheels of the clockworks to prevent the running of the clock, and resiliently suspended masses adapted to be kept in oscillating motionby the movement of the vehicle, and means connecting said masses to said m vable hook for maintaining the looking hook in a withdrawn, ine'fi'ective position durin the time the vehicle is running.

3. in apparatus for controlling the run- 

